Wishful Thinking
by Exul
Summary: What if a beloved character could come back? I think they should be able to. I just couldn't get this idea out of my head... It's my wishful thinking. Please Read and Review... : Most likely some Jack/Ianto in later chapters. T just to be safe.
1. The Arrival

**Disclaimer:**

**I do not own Torchwood or these characters, though I would love to. **

**I do not own Doctor Who either. Some of you may get the little connection I made in the story :)**

Jack new that he should stay.

He knew that, with all of his heart, he would be happiest if he stayed exactly where he was, with Gwen and Rhys and the soon to be born child. If he stayed he could help rebuild Torchwood – Four this time. He could recruit new members and create a whole new Torchwood.

But he couldn't bear it.

Jack didn't want a new Torchwood. He wanted the old one back. He wanted the dynamic of all of them – Gwen, Tosh, Owen, Himself and…. He couldn't bear to think about the last one. He wouldn't even have really minded having Suzie back.

But, sure enough, Jack ran. He ran from his problems. He ran from the death and the loss and the grief. But he also ran from his family. At least the last remaining essence of family he had – Gwen.

But she wasn't enough.

*****1 year after the end of Children of Earth: Day 5*****

Gwen woke up at 1 a.m. to the sound of her newborn son crying. Just like the past 9 months, she woke up, and walked into the nursery of her new house.

"Jack! Is it possible for you to sleep more than two hours at a time?" She picked him up carefully, and walked downstairs. She had just begun to prepare a bottle when the doorbell rang.

She sighed, exasperated, and walked to the front door. Everytime the doorbell had rung in the past year she had gotten her hopes up. She would always think, _Maybe he changed his mind, _or _He's probably finally come to his senses_. She always hoped for Jack to come back from wherever he was.

Gwen hushed the baby and shushed her hopes. Then, she opened the door.

The sight in front of her was better than anything she could have imagined. Jack hadn't come back, sadly, but what was standing there was even better.

"So, who's this little guy?" Ianto Jones asked, as if nothing had happened.

Gwen, not knowing what to say, just answered as calmly as possible "This, is Jack Williams."

Owen Harper chuckled. "You named him after the guy that you were secretly in love with for over three years? Nice." Ianto barged passed her with a large duffel bag glued to his hip. Owen followed suit, and Toshiko Sato just looked at her with a smile that could have melted anyone's heart.

"I think it's sweet that you named him after Jack. He was one of your best friends, and he was also sort of a father figure, always looking out for us." She smiled again.

"Wait. Just… STOP!" Gwen yelled as quietly as she could do so. "How on earth, well, not earth, but how in the universe are you here?"

Owen smirked, Ianto nearly smiled, and Tosh beamed. Then she said "You see, when you die, you go to this black space, it's just perpetual nothingness. It actually took me a while to figure out where I was. But I did realize where it was eventually. It's the Void. It's the space between parallel universes. Now, some people say that it's like hell, but it was actually kind of peaceful. You just think. All of the time – it's quite nice. Anyway, being the genius that I am, I found out a way to interact with people. I found Owen quickly – the stronger the connection you have to someone while alive, the easier it is to communicate. It's not like talking though, it's more like being inside each other's head. It's easier than talking, because you pretty much think as one."

"She says that now, but someone knowing your thoughts all of the time gets extremely annoying. Plus, you have to see everything that they have ever done in their life. As in, intimate details. I just don't want to know what's going on in everyone's love lives." Owen glared at Ianto.

"I couldn't help it. If it happened you can see it. It's not like I wanted you to." He sent back a retaliating glare.

"But you still haven't explained how you're here." Gwen stated.

"Right, I was getting to that before the boys interrupted me." Tosh said. "See, people travel through the void sometimes, when they move from one world to a parallel one. The thing is – there are thousands of worlds. Every time someone moves from one to another we can get a glimpse of that world, bet people very rarely go through to Void. We just had to float through the Void until we found our world. That's why it took us so long. Even if you can find the world, people don't travel through them much anyway. Once Ianto, 'crossed over' if you will, we could sense him right away, and we found this world, but it took this long for someone to cross over the other way. But, we just hitched a ride. It's like we're reborn too, not a scratch, bruise or scar on us."

"Yep," said Owen "The undead man is now actually alive, heartbeat, blood flow and all." He smirked again.

"If it was so easy for you guys to come back, then why don't more people cross back over?" Gwen asked.

"Oh, it wasn't easy." Said Ianto. "It's like you're getting pulled into a million pieces. Plus, inter-dimensional travel is catastrophic."

"But it wasn't our idea to start any catastrophe. Us tagging along with someone who was already crossing from a different world isn't any worse than that one person crossing, and they were going to do it anyway. We just used them to cross." Tosh said.

"Alright," said Gwen. "you're probably here for somewhere to stay. You can, but not for too long, alright? You can probably get your old jobs back soon. Torchwood is being rebuilt."

"Jack's here then?" Ianto asked expectantly.

"No, I'm sorry dear. He left after you died. He really loved you, and he was heartbroken. He had no reason to stay." Gwen looked down at her baby, "He's never even met little Jack." Gwen started to tear up a bit.

She cleared her throat, "So, there's one Guest room upstairs, and a couch down here. I don't know if you and Owen are okay sleeping in the same bed, Tosh, but if not you might be able to squeeze into my bed with Rhys." Gwen winked at Tosh - no one else saw.

Owen started to protest, but Tosh said something first, "We'll be fine sharing the bed, right Owen?"

"Sure. It' not like we can get any closer after spending over two years in each other's heads." Owen said. He figured he could have it much worse.

"That leaves me with the couch." Ianto said as he plopped down.

"Don't be complaining. Of the three of you guys, you had the least painless death." Gwen said. "Now, I've got to be putting Jack to bed, but Ianto, Make yourself at home. Tosh and Owen, I'll show you where the guest room is."

Gwen walked up the stairs of her house, with two of her formerly deceased friends on her heels. She showed them their room, put Jack down, and climbed in bed with Rhys.

"Rhys." She whispered. He didn't hear her. "Rhys!" She whispered louder. He still didn't hear her. Gwen sighed, "I guess he'll find out for himself in the morning."

Then she drifted into sleep, dreaming of aliens and parallel universes for the first time in months. And she was happy.

**Please Review... even if you don't have an account. I would really appreciate it. :)**


	2. Any Other Day

**Just a bit of fluff. **

**Disclaimer: **

**I do not own Torchwood or its characters… Sadly. :(**

Like any other day, Gwen woke up to screaming. But it wasn't the screaming of a baby that she was used to.

"Rhys!" She yelled. Bolting out of bed and racing downstairs.

She laughed when she saw the sight. Rhys had come downstairs to get ready for work, just like any other day. He was fully naked, just like he was every other day.

But today was not any other day.

Tosh was making breakfast, and Owen was eating ravenously. Ianto was still sleeping, even thru Rhys's scream. Rhys was covering himself up with a tiny dish towel. He ran past Gwen and back upstairs as quick as he could.

"Bloody hell, You'd think I'd be freaked out by dead people in my kitchen, but no, I'm used to that, it's the fact that I'm naked that freaks me out." He muttered to himself as he was racing up the stairs.

"I'll go grab Jack, you guys… just do what you were doing." Gwen went back upstairs.

Ianto jerked awake. He looked around for a while to get his bearings, and wiped the drool from his face. Then he sighed.

"I guess I'll make the coffee." He swiftly got up off the couch, his hair tousled in a way that made him look like a little kid – even more so by the fact that he was just wearing a crinkled white t-shirt and jeans, not his normal suit.

"You better," said Owen, "No offence, but this pot is complete rubbish."

"Yeah, well I'm used to having my coffee made for me." Tosh smiled as Ianto started his lengthy procedure.

Gwen heard the three of them talk as she walked down the stairs. It was just like old times. Then the baby gurgled. She looked at him and grinned. "Hey, Tosh, could you help get a bottle ready?"

"That might not be such a great Idea – She nearly poisoned me with this coffee." Owen said, taking a sip and cringing.

"Hey, It's not my fault. I just don't know how to use that Machine. Plus, like I said, I haven't made coffee for over three years! And that's not counting the time where I was dead."

Gwen chuckled, "It's so weird having you guys here. Don't get me wrong, it's great to have you back, but still, it's like seeing ghosts." She gently dispensed Jack into Tosh's arms and began making a bottle for him.

Tosh looked at Jack lovingly and said, "He looks a lot like you Gwen," and Gwen smiled.

"Rhys always says that he looks so much like me he's starting to suspect some Torchwood cloning experiment."

Tosh just cradled baby Jack in her arms. Owen looked at Tosh with the most tender face that he had ever given anyone. Gwen and Ianto exchanged a look of raised eyebrows and knowing smiles.

"Okay, Coffee's done" said Ianto, handing everyone a cup.

"Did I hear someone say coffee?" Rhys asked striding down the stairs, fully clothed.

"Oh how I missed this coffee. Not only when I was dead-dead, but also when I was undead." Owen started guzzling it like it was the best thing he had ever had.

Gwen gave the bottle to Tosh and she began feeding Jack. Rhys continued getting ready for work. Ianto asked Gwen. "You wouldn't mind me taking a quick shower would you? I haven't had one in over a year." He gave her a silly smile.

"No, go right ahead. Everything should be in there." Gwen said.

**I know that this chapter was short and kind of pointless, but I felt like writing some fluff. Deep(er) stuff coming soon…:)**

**Please Review!**


	3. Points of View

**So, I'm trying something new… This will be broken up into different sections for different people's POV, since I'm not great at sticking to one person :)**

**Disclaimer: **

**I do not own Torchwood or its characters. **

**(I was going to save the best for last, but Ianto's story worked best first.)**

*****Ianto*****

He walked up the stairs and found the bathroom without much trouble. He turned on the water and then looked at himself in the mirror.

That's when his bravado wore off. Tears began streaming down his face.

He shook himself out of his trance, undressed, and stepped into the stream of water. But that didn't stop the tears.

It was bad enough having to go through all of this pain, but Tosh and Owen knew exactly how he felt, and he didn't like that.

He always kept to himself for a reason – he didn't want people to know about him, or to get too close. He just didn't want to have to explain to anyone about his childhood. He just wanted to forget it. But people pry, so sometimes Ianto lies.

Having them in his head, they saw through him - Into his heart, and his soul. He didn't know how to deal with that. He'd opened himself up to Jack, but even he apparently didn't care enough to do the same.

Ianto, in his emotional daze lost his footing, and sank to the floor of the bathtub. He'd never felt this strongly for someone before, not even Lisa. Jack was different from anyone he had ever met before.

He kept replaying his death over and over in his mind. _Why didn't he say it back?_ _Why not?_ Ianto knew that he felt the same way. They loved each other. Even if they couldn't admit it to one another, it had been there, so why couldn't he say it back, when it mattered the most?

Jack and Ianto had loved each other for a while, even if it wasn't vocalized, it was in the air – ever since around their first date. It was then that they became more than 'fun buddies' - more than loads of fun and plenty of shagging. Ianto had always felt like he was the occasional shag for Jack – never anything more.

Ianto contemplated his life, his love, and his sacrifice until he gained his composure, stood up, and began cleaning himself of everything. Trying to wash away his past.

He wanted a new beginning. Jack had left, and he wasn't coming back anytime soon.

Ianto was still trying to accept that, so he just pretended was any other day. Except it wasn't.

There's no Torchwood Hub, there are no Aliens to hunt. No Captain in his corner office begging to play naked Hide and Seek. Ianto longed for the days that were simple. Just him and Jack and the gang, fighting aliens and anything else that came their way. Before Owen became undead, before him and Tosh died. Before the 456, before he died and Jack left.

*****Gwen*****

Gwen watched Ianto go up the stairs, then turn back to talk to Rhys, who was eyeing Tosh and Owen with a suspicious face.

"How is it they're alive, some other Torchwood experiment gone awry?" Rhys whispered.

"No, not at all. It's got to do with parallel universes and traveling between them. I barely understand it. All I know is that they're alive and well, and that's all that really matters right now." Gwen said.

She kept thinking it over and over in her head. How could she get in contact with Jack? When he left, everyone was dead. But that wasn't the case anymore. He needed to know that they were all back.

But, he hadn't exactly left a phone number, and Gwen had no Idea where he was, except that he wasn't with her.

She suspected that he wasn't alone, wherever he was.

Then, she had an idea, "Rhys can you drive me to Torchwood? I need to look for something."

She looked at Tosh," Could you look after Jack while I'm gone? I won't be too long."

"Sure," said Tosh, "I'd be happy to." Her eyes remained glued to the baby as she rocked him back and forth.

Gwen grabbed her coat and left with Rhys.

"Why do you want to go to the Torchwood Hub? It's not done yet.

"I know, but I want to look for something. Something that I'm pretty sure we've got."

*****Owen*****

The whole time Tosh bottle fed Jack, Owen was watching. She just looked so nurturing, so kind and gentle. He just admired her. Her subtle beauty, her grace and elegance, and her brain – most of all her brain. If it wasn't for her they'd still be stuck in the Void, floating around, alone. But she managed a way to connect, and to escape.

Owen felt a warmth spreading through him – something he hadn't felt in years. But, Owen Harper knew exactly what that feeling was. In that second he knew - He was in love with Toshiko Sato. It was a sudden realization, but it wasn't that surprising to him.

He'd never really thought about Tosh that way, until she told him that she loved him, when he was brought back to life. She was there for him, even when he wasn't at all there for her.

"Could you look after Jack while I'm gone? I won't be too long." Gwen asked.

"Sure," said Tosh, "I'd be happy to." Tosh never moved her eyes from the little boy, she just kept feeding him, and began to rock him slightly back and forth.

Gwen left with Rhys, leaving Tosh and Owen alone.

"Can I see him?" Owen asked. Tosh's looked at him, surprised.

"I don't see why not. But, you might want to sit down first. Just to be safe." Tosh said, motioning toward the couch.

"Tosh, do you seriously think I need to sit down to hold a baby?" He looked at her incredulously, with a hint of a smirk.

"Just to be safe." Tosh said again, nudging him to sit down.

"Fine," he said, sitting down, "are you happy now?"

"Yes, and I'm sure Gwen would be too." Tosh put the bottle down, and sat next to Owen. She gently plopped the baby in his arms. "Make sure to hold his head." Owen glanced at her as if to say, _I was a doctor, I know how to hold a bloody baby._ Then his gaze went back to the child.

As Owen held the baby he began to feel that warmth again. He looked a Tosh, who was talking to the baby in his arms. Then she looked up at him. And he couldn't help it – he kissed her.

Their time in the Void had made them unbearably close, closer that two people should ever really get. Owen knew everything that there was to know about Tosh and her mother, and she knew all about him - all about Katie. But it made them closer than probably any couple on the planet. They had a sort of bond where they now knew the other better than they knew themselves.

The tension since they'd been back was unbearable. All last night they had barely touched, making sure each had their own side of the bed. The tension that had been there had finally melted away with their consciousness.

The kiss was short but so, so sweet. So full of emotion that it left them breathless.

**So, yeah. Please Please Please review!**

**If you don't I won't know if you like it… and I might not post anymore!**

**So, please review! **

**Even if it's anonymous. **

**~A**


End file.
